Retirement Meal

After just over a week of retirement ( and being too busy to post my blog! ) I went out for a meal with my erstwhile colleagues. Had a very pleasant time with excellent food and good company. Received some very nice leaving prezzies and cards and managed to say thank you without having to make a speech. I enjoyed it and will certainly keep in touch with at least some of the people there. However, despite a thoroughly wonderful evening I am thrilled to be walking away from them to live my life unconstrained by the routine and restrictions that work brings.

The Department of Work and Pensions published a survey on attitudes to retirement last week.(here) I seem to be very much in the minority in relishing the opportunities I now have.......

"New research by Ipsos MORI shows a mixed bag of emotions for those waking up on day one of retirement with under a third saying they felt relaxed and under a quarter feeling free. A surprising one in ten felt anxious, sad or lost."

What's wrong with these people??? OK if you have to retire and you're penniless you're not going to be overjoyed but 10% said they'd miss the journey to work! An unspecified number thought work was a reason to get out of the house, how sad is that? I know I'm lucky in that I have a good pension which increases my choices but where is their imagination?

Anyway, rant over and this is the last mention of retirement. I have said my good byes and henceforth will be looking forward.

Elvie